KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia were easier at mid-afternoon today, bucking the regional upbeat trend, dealers said.

At 3.17pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 2.83 points to 1,871.98.

On the scoreboard, the Finance Index rose 3.26 points to 17,478.84, Industrial Index lost 13.23 points to 3,256.15 and the Plantation Index fell 140.52 points to 8,556.39.

The FBM Emas Index edged down 14.54 points to 13,084.14 and the FBM Ace dropped 20.77 points to 7,051.93.The FBMT100 Index increased 12.72 points to 12,677.2 and FBM 70 climbed 0.92 of a point to 14,354.31, Losers led gainers by 441 to 321 while 1,428 counters were unchanged. 

Turnover stood at 2.297 billion shares worth RM1.21 million.  Among heavyweights, Maybank was flat at RM10.06, Public Bank lost two sen to RM19.32 and Tenaga added eight sen at RM12.50.

Of the actives, Hubline was unchanged at 55 sen, Sumatec declined one sen to 51 sen and Reach-WA edged up two sen to 25.5 sen. — Bernama